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Any reply or subsequent reference to this

communication should be addressed to the OFFICE OF THE CONTRACTOR-


Contractor-General and the following
reference quoted:- GENERAL
PIOJ Building
No. : 16 Oxford Road
TELEPHONE No.:876-929-8560/6466 P.O. BOX 540
FAX No. : 876-929-2476
E-mail: communications@ocg.gov.jm KIN
GSTON 5

JAMAICA, W.I

MEDIA RELEASE

STATEMENT OF THE CONTRACTOR GENERAL IN RESPONSE TO MEDIA REPORT

Kingston; July 12, 2010 – The Office of the Contractor General (OCG) and myself have taken very
careful note of certain comments which have been attributed to the Information Minister, the Hon. Daryl
Vaz and Mr. Peter Bunting, the General Secretary of the Peoples National Party, regarding the alleged
manner in which I have been discharging my statutory mandate and responsibilities as the Contractor
General of Jamaica.

The referenced comments are published in today’s edition of the Jamaica Daily Observer in a front
page article which is entitled “Should Christie be kept? Contractor General overzealous, scaring off
public servants, say political parties”.

It is imperative that it is publicly understood that the primary mandate of a Contractor General, as is
dictated by the Parliament of Jamaica in Sections 4 (1) and 15 of the Contractor General Act, is to
monitor and to investigate the award of Government contracts to ensure that such contracts are
awarded impartially and on merit and in circumstances that do not involve impropriety or irregularity.

It is also critical for it to be understood that, for good reason, a Contractor General is not a part of the
Executive arm of the State who reports to or who is subject to the directives of the Executive since his
job, in essence, is to monitor the conduct of the Government itself in its award of contracts and its issue
of licences.

A Contractor General is an Independent Anti-Corruption Commission of the Parliament of Jamaica who


is sworn to discharge his mandate under the Contractor General Act solely “on behalf of Parliament”.
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By extension, this means that a Contractor General is mandated by law to discharge his mandate solely
on behalf of and solely in the interests of the People and Taxpayers of Jamaica.
It is also instructive to publicly record that a Contractor General and every single employee of the OCG,
are bound by a STATUTORY OATH, on the pain of criminal prosecution, to solemnly and faithfully
discharge the said mandate in the manner that is prescribed by the law – a Law which the OCG did not
write.

So powerful and unyielding is this constraint that Section 5 (1) of the Contractor General Act mandates,
in very lucid and expressed terms, that “In the exercise of the powers conferred upon him by this Act, a
Contractor General shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority”.

As Contractor General, I have always discharged my statutory mandate and responsibilities lawfully,
independently, faithfully, fairly and fearlessly, for and on behalf of the People of Jamaica. All of my
decisions and pronouncements, as Contractor General, over the past four and one-half years, are
considered positions which have been measured solely by this standard. For good reason, they have all
been articulated in written form and have been adequately substantiated by documented evidence and I
will not resile from any of them.

Having read the comments which have been attributed by the Daily Observer to the referenced public
officials, I would like to categorically state, without any reservation, that I have absolutely no intention
whatsoever of discharging my statutory mandate and responsibilities in a manner which suits the desires
or dictates of any other person, official or entity, irrespective of who that person, official or entity may
be.

Were I to do so, I would be acting not only contrary to the provisions of the Law and the solemn OATH
to which I have subscribed to serve only the collective interests of the Jamaican People, but, above all, I
would be acting contrary to the dictates of my own conscience – a conscience which is immune to breach.

So long as I shall have the good honour and privilege of holding the Commission of the Contractor
General of Jamaica, I will faithfully and lawfully serve only what I regard to be the best interests of the
People and Taxpayers of Jamaica. While I will at all times do so fairly, impartially and responsibly, it

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must also be clearly understood that I will also, at all times, do so forthrightly and vigorously and without
fear and without favour, and without being subjected to the countermanding dictates of any other person
except a Court of Law.
-END-
Contact: The Communications Department, Office of the Contractor General of Jamaica
C/o Craig Beresford, Senior Director of Monitoring Operations, Corporate Communications and
Special Projects
E-mail: communications@ocg.gov.jm. Tel: 876-929-8560; Direct: 876-926-0034; Mobile: 876-564-1806

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